Bicycle habit



2 Sheets-Sneet 1.

we M6551.

E. DRYFOOS. BICYCLE HABIT.

Patented Dec. 24,1895.

A NOR/VH8.

ANDREW BISRAHAM. PHOTO-UYHQWASMINGTO N. D C

No Model.) 2 Sheets'Sheet 2.

E. DRYFOOS.

BICYCLE HABIT. v I No. 552,052 Patented Dec 24, 1895;

. WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

ANDREW RGRAHANL PHOTDU'IHQWASNINGTUN. 0 C

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EMMA nn'rroos, OFQNEW YORK, N. Y.

BICYCLE-HABIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,052, dated December 24, 1895. Application filed September 12, 1895. Serial No. 562,341. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMMA Dnrroos, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bicycle-Habit, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bicycle-habits for ladies, and has for its object to provide a habit of the above-indicated class that will have the exact appearance of a skirt and yet will afford the wearer all the freedom of movement which is given by bloomers, divided skirts, and like garments. It has also been my aim to so construct my improved bicyclehabit that any skirt of the ordinary type may be readily changed to a bicycle-skirt of the new construction. I have further provided my improved bicycle-habit with a skirt-raising device, so that the skirt can be held at different heights when the habit is used either as a riding-habit or as a walking-habit.

To these ends my invention consists in the particular novel arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters denote like parts, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a lady wearing my improved habit and mounted on a bicycle. Fig. 2 shows the habit when arranged as a skirt for walking. Fig. 3 is a front view of the habit. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on the line 4 4, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5'is a back View of the habit. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an inner view of the skirt with the leg-forming flaps attached thereto, but not yet sewed together. Fig. Sis a front view of the habit with the front of the skirt removed. Fig. 9 is a broken view of the upper part of the habit with the legs removed to show the skirtraising device, the latter being in its lower position; and Fig. 10 is a similar view with the skirt raised.

The improved bicycle-habit, as illustrated by the drawings, consists primarily of a skirt proper A, which need not differ in substance from those of the usual pattern. The only difference between this skirt and an ordinary one is that it is divided at the back, as shown at A, the open portion or division extending up about half-way. In order to conceal the division when the habit is used as a walkingskirt and to hold the divided edges tightly fitted together, I provide suitable fastening devices at the edges adjacent to the division, such as hooks and eyes B, or buttons and buttonholes.

The upper portion of the skirt may be provided with an ordinary waistband but I prefer to employ a waistband G of the particular construction shown and described in Letters Patent granted to Catherine Colgan J une 28, 1892, No. 477,833.

It will be understood that the skirt proper completely surrounds the wearers body. IVithin this skirt I have arranged leg portions, whereby the garment affords the same convenience as bloomers, and these inner leg portions attached to the skirt I have termed semi-bloomers. As shown in the drawings, each of the inner leg portions is attached to the skirt at the front portion thereof, at the back and at the waistband. Each of said leg portions is preferably made in two sectionsa front section D, whose front edge is attached to the skirt at the junction of the skirt-front A with the side gore A and a rear section D, whose rear edge is attached to the skirt at the junction of the skirt-back A with the side gore. The adjacent edges of the said leg-sectionsD and D have curved lower portions E, adapted to be sewed together and terminating at the crotch, and slightly curved upper portions E, adapted to be secured to thecorresponding edge portions of the leg-sections of the other side, while the seams at the portions E connect leg-sections of the same side. (See Figs. 6 and 8.) The upper edge portions E of the front leg-sections D, however, are not secured together in their entire length, a so that flies F are formed, as shown in Fig. 8, this construction facilitating the putting on of the garment.

It will be seen that the legs of the improved bicycle-habit are formed partly by the side portions A of the skirt proper A and partly by the leg-sections D and D within the skirt. This construction is exceedingly simple and reduces the weight of the garment to a minimum, besides permitting any skirt of the ordinary type to be provided with semi-bloomers according to my invention.

It will be observed (see Figs. 4 and 6) that I oo the side portions A of the skirt, with the inner sections D and D, form the legs of the habit, the front portion A of the skirt extending in front of the front inner sections D from top to bottom, and the divided rear portion A of the skirt extending in an analogous manner at the rear of the rear inner sections D-that is, the front and rear portions of the skirt are connected to the front and rear seams of the legs, respectively.

It will be obvious that the division at the back of the skirt may be perfectly concealed and that the inner leg-sections D and D are never exposed to view. \Vith a view to better concealing the said inner leg-sections, the back A of the skirt may be formed with a series of vertically-disposed folds A The skirt-raising attachment with which I prefer to provide my bicycle-habit comprises a series of tapes G secured to the skirt behind the leg sections D and extending upward through eyes H attached to the waistband, the upper ends of several of the tapes or of all of them being connected to a common drawstring I, which permits the skirt to be raised, as illustrated by Fig. 10. Thus the wearer of my improved bicycle-habit may adjust the garment to a sufli cient height to make it comfortable for riding on a bicycle or for engaging in out-of-door sports, such as tennis, or for walking in inclement weather.

It will be understood that the hooks and eyes 13 or equivalent fastening devices will be separated or loosened when the habit is used for riding on a bicycle, but will be connected to-hold the edges of the slash or division A together when the habit is used as a walking-skirt.

As will appear from the description hereinbefore given, my improved riding-habit com bines the advantages of an ordinary skirt in presenting a seemly and inconspicuous appearance, and those of a divided garment in affording full freedom of the movement of the legs of the wearer. The habit, moreover, is simple, light, and inexpensive.

. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The herein described habit comprisinga skirt like body adapted to surround the body of the wearer and divided at the back, and the leg forming portions having their front and rear lengths secured at their outer edges to the skirt body at separated points whereby the skirt body will form a part of the leg portions, the said rear lengths being secured to the skirt body at a point considerably in advance of the rear division, that part of the skirt body in rear of the leg portions falling in folds in rear of and independently of the said leg portions, substantially as shown and described.

2. A habit substantially as herein described, composed of a skirt like body adapted to surround the body of the wearer and divided at the back and leg portions arranged within the skirt and fixed at their outer sides throughout their lengths to the skirt at points in advance of the rear division, the skirt in rear of the leg portions falling in folds in rear of and independently of the said leg portions, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The herein described habit, comprising a skirt divided at the back, and leg portions arranged within the skirt and consisting of front sections having their forward edges secured to the front of the skirt, and rear sections having their rear edges secured in their whole length to the back of the skirt, the front and rear sections of the same leg being connected at the lower portions of their adjacent edges, and the front sections of both legs, as also the rear sections thereof, being connected at the upper portions of their adjacent edges, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein described habit, comprising a skirt divided at the back, and leg portions arranged within the skirt and consisting of front sections having their forward edges secured to the front of the skirt, and rear sections having their rear edges secured in their whole length to the back of the skirt, the front and rear sections of the same leg being connected at the lower portions of their adjacent edges, the rear sections of both legs being secured together at the upper portions of their adjacent edges, and the front sections of both legs being connected to within a distance from the upper ends of their adjacent edges, so as to produce flies at the upper ends of the front sections, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein described habit comprising the central partitions forming inner leg portions, the skirt front whose side edges are secured to the front portions of the legs and a divided skirt back whose side edges are secured to the rear portions of the legs, the side portions of the skirt forming the outer leg portions substantially as described.

6. The herein described habit comprising the skirt and the legs each composed of a front and a rear section, secured at their outer edges throughout their lengths to the skirt and having their inner edges formed with upper and lower curved portions, the lower curved portion of the sections of each leg being attached together while the upper portions of the inner edges of the sections of each leg are secured to the corresponding edge portions of the sections of the other leg substantiallyas shown and described.

' EMMA DRYFOOS.

\Vitnesses JOHN LOTKA, C. Snnewrcx. 

